Howard County to purchase Ellicott City site for Elementary School 43

Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman announced Tuesday that the county will purchase a 12-acre site in Turf Valley for the school system’s 43rd elementary school, expected to open in 2023.

The announcement comes two days before the Howard County Board of Education votes on a final decision for redistricting next school year. The Ellicott City site is part of a larger process to relieve overcrowding in the county’s elementary schools.

Located on Resort Road, the county will purchase the site from Mangione Family Enterprises, pending County Council approval. Kittleman said in a statement that the price agreement, $5.75 million, falls below appraised value, and the county will follow through with a purchase and sales agreement once an appraisal is updated.

The school system requested the county purchase the property in May, according to Interim Superintendent Michael Martirano, and will incorporate these changes in its Capital Improvements Program.

“Combined with the acceleration of a new high school in the east, the replacement and expansion of Talbott Springs Elementary in Columbia and the use of innovative programmatic offerings such as JumpStart,” Martirano said in the county’s press release, “the Turf Valley school site will ensure that we have the necessary capacity across the county to support long-term student enrollment growth.”

Board of Education Chairwoman Cindy Vaillancourt said purchase of the Elementary School 43 site will be acknowledged in the board’s redistricting decision, expected Nov. 16.

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